Midweek Photos 6/24/2015

This week has been big for my rail fanning.  I am at my in-laws, in New Jersey and just a few hours drive from Strasburg and the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad.  I visited them both and was able to get some great shots.

 

Strasburg Railroad 6/19/2015

 

I did the Hostling tour and rode the 11am train.  I then chased the train all afternoon getting several hours of video and many photos.  Here are just a few.

 

 

My second trip of the week was to the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad.  I met up with forum member Ed Mullan and we chased the 734 up the mountain.  He was a huge help and I wouldn't have been able to get half the photos that I got without him.

 

 

First a Fathers Day 2015 image, a Grandfather totes his Grandson trackside to watch a ballast train.

BNSF 5057 North, the tracks and crew are UP, the BNSF leader leads two NS units on a NS ballast train that was loaded at the Iron Mt. MO ballast at pit on the UP's Desoto Sub. The UP crew is along the Mississippi River at Sulpher Springs MO on its trip back to St. Louis where the train will be interchanged to the NS.

 

 

 

 

 

Back down to Dexter MO, NS 8977 South, UP train MASNL  is coming off the Chester Sub and onto the Hoxie Sub at Charleston Jct. to continue on to its final terminal at   N. Little Rock.

 

 

 

 

 UP 5561 South, ZDTMX blasting out from under the US60 overpass after changing crews at N Dexter, MO 6/20/15

 

 

 UP 6929 reflects in the puddle as it leads the AEGAS thru MO Jct. 6/20/15 

 

 

 

 BNSF 4173, South, trackage rights train 6G1UE2J, loaded syrup unit train, leaves the Chester Sub and enters the Jonesboro Sub at Dexter Jct. as it continues on to Texas. 6/201/15

 

 

 

 CSXT 3101 South, departing the crew change at N. Dexter with UP train ASMAR, about to duck under the US60 overpass, 6/20/15. 

 

 

 

 

 

UP 8616 North, MNLAS, with a colorful consist at MO Jct. 6/20/15

 

 

There were a lot of trains on June 20, still have a few more images from that day, may post them next week. Things did no roll thru the crew change without issue as one train had to take on engine water which delayed it about 45 minute or so and the BNSF syrup train had DP issues which delayed it 45 minutes or more. Still, the dispatcher was able to get trains through on a very hot afternoon.

 

Dan

Yesterday I made the trip back to Strasburg, and brought my 5 year old son with me.  It was their Day out with Thomas event, but my son wanted to ride "a regular steam locomotive".  We rode the noon train, and got off at the picnic spot for lunch.  To our disappointment the Thomas and Percy trains didn't even come out that far!  We were hoping to be able to eat lunch and watch Thomas, Percy, and the 475 running.  We still had a great time.

 

After the train ride we visited the PA train museum across the street.  Spent several hours exploring all the train.  He was a big disappointed that the NKP berk they had on display wasn't the 765!  

 

 

Photos from my visit to the Middletown & Hummelstown(PA) RR for the Conrail Historical Society's Ride The Rails For Cancer event.

 

This GE 65 ton center cab was built in 1955 - making it relatively modern for this type of diesel. I had preiously been in a GE 44 tonner that was built in 1946 and this locomotive was a "Cadillac" by comparison

The controls

 

The caboose. The Middletown & Hummelstown RR (M&H) refers to itself as the "Milk & Honey route"

 

This Alco S6 painted for WM is part of the revenue generating operations - delivering tanks cars (haz-mats) and such to local industry and interfacing with NS.

Ex Conrail, ex PRR MOW Hopper

 

This single dome tank car looks like it could be from a post-war Lionel set. Funny thing about the prototype - when you stand next to it it seems HUGE!

WOW! The SRR had to replace their only bridge? Or is this a new one?

 

They had to replace their "old bridge" with a totally new, high capacity, bridge due to their increasing freight traffic, which include some pretty high axle load freight cars.

Hello guys. These wear taken today 6-24-15. Enjoy

Whittier Daily at Bear Valley waiting for the green light to go into the tunnel.

 

 

Tim, love your pictures of my old stomping grounds in Scranton & Dunmore. Do you know the wheel configuration of old no. 60 in Ringos and is it still running, it's been a while since I've been back home.  Thanks

 

Jack

The Pleasant Valley station has been moved to Dutchess County Fairgrounds, Rhinebeck, NY. Here is a link.

 

 

About 14 miles south is Poughkeepsie Bridge, now WALKWAY OVER THE HUDSON. My wife and I walked across it. Lots of Amtrak, Metro-North and CSX trains on the former New York Central on both sides of the river under the bridge. We took these photos on a humid, misty evening. Near the far end we noticed a big black cloud coming up from the south. Then we saw a lightning bolt in that cloud. We looked at each other and noticed a sign: "Bridge closes during thunderstorms." We high-tailed it back to our car, just in time.

 

 

First Union Rail Gondolas in Susquehanna, PA

 

 

Tunkhannock Viaduct in Nicholson, PA

 

 

 

 

 Starrucca Viaduct in Lanesboro, PA

 

SR Tower west of Susquehanna, PA

 

 

Erie Passenger Car, Box Car and Erie Camp Car alongside the Erie RR Station in Susquehanna, PA

 

 

Elevated crossing tower in Susquehanna, PA

This one doesn't feature a train, but thought it was still a nice photo and features the Tunkhannock Viaduct. The photo could of very well been taken in 1965 as opposed to 2015.

 

 

Old DL&W Freight Station in Nicholson, PA

 

 

 

 

 

Had lunch at MaZar's Bridge View Restaurant in Nicholson. Unfortunately no trains crossed over the bridge, but it was a nice view.

Looking much like a model railroad, this is track in northern Ireland near Downhill, Antrim county.
View inside Connally station in Dublin.
I traded going to ATSF Historical Society meeting in Texas for a trip to cool, rainy Ireland.

I'm a Thomas the Tank fan, and I don't care who knows it.  I try to get my youngest son to put his Thomas t-shirt on when I have mine on, and then we go out to see trains, but it's been no use since he turned ten.  Now that he's 18 it seems impossible to get him to put on a Thomas t-shirt, let alone go watch choo-choos with me.

 

I did have a couple of adventures last week but will just bore you with one.  On Tuesday night I heard the D&I get a warrant near my house, so I went after them.  I had a special shot in mind and for that I loaded up some special gear.  My kayak.  I've always wanted to get a shot of them crossing the Big Sioux River near Hawarden, IA from the south, but the only way to do that is from the river.  I folded the seats down in my minivan and shoved the kayak in.

 

Driving fast I got to the river well ahead of the train and it was still plenty light.  I dragged the kayak as I ran to the Big Sioux River with it and my camera in a Dry Bag.  I got to the bank of the river and noticed there was a LOT more water in it than I remembered.  It's been raining  almost every three days here, an unusual amount. The river was still in its banks but quite high.  I sat in the little 10 ft. kayak and pushed off.  The current caught it immediately and I found myself whizzing downstream very, very fast.  I decided to test the power of the current by back paddling to see if I could paddle back upstream, but found I couldn't even hold it in place.   Uh oh.  This might not have been such a good idea.  I threw out my anchor (a scavanged tie plate on a 10 ft. length of decoy cord,) and the line snapped.  I was quite far down the river at this point and barely in control.  So I decided to bag this idea and try another day.  I paddled back to the bank and had to drag the boat about a quarter mile back to my van.  The score was River: 1, Foamer Navy: 0.   I'll try again, but I'll wait until I see the sandbars in the river again.

 

I set up for a second shot of a n/b train parked in a siding.  The s/b was on its way and the sunset was great!  I walked out into a field of corn that was about waist high.  And, full of mosquitos!  I went back to my van for my rain jacket to ward off the bugs.  Train came and the engineer spotted me.  My radio came alive and I heard Terry say, "Hey, there's Kent, out standing his field!"   Har har Terry.

 

I checked with Steve the conductor and found out the train was going all the way to Sioux City IA.  I set up for another shot at Jefferson, SD.  This is a spot I've looked at in the past but never tried to catch a train there.   It would be dark when the train arrived around 10 PM, so I put up two large flash.  The mosquitos weren't quite as bad there, but bad enough.  I waited in my van for the train to come.  It finally did and I popped a shot of it coming and also of the DPU.    And that was that, only not quite.  I've never run into chiggers in South Dakota before, but discovered the tall grass in Jefferson was full of them!  I hate chiggers.  I hope winter comes early this year.

 

 

Kent in SD